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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28350438">what you left behind</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/egnlotsc/pseuds/egnlotsc'>egnlotsc</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Percabeth Futurefics [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Percy Jackson and the Olympians &amp; Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Everybody Lives, F/M, Fights, Fluff and Angst, Honestly just fluff, Married Couple, Original Character(s), Percabeth kids - Freeform, rachel is just a really good friend, this is kinda sad but it has a happy ending i promise</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-20 22:47:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,897</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28350438</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/egnlotsc/pseuds/egnlotsc</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"Annabeth listened to the dial tone, biting her lip as it rang. After what felt like hours, she heard his voice on the other end. "Beth?" "Percy..." she couldn't finish the sentence as the pain of hearing his voice hit her like a tidal wave. She could hear him chuckle lowly before continuing, oblivious to the hurt she felt coursing through her. "It's been a while, Wise Girl."</p><p>When Percy accepts a job promotion just months after their son's birth, Annabeth finds herself struggling with the reality of being left behind as her husband's absence stretches from weeks into months. A small, standalone addition to the "what we came here for" universe.</p><p>-or the one where Annabeth's feelings finally break through and she opens up to percy - and maybe, just maybe, everything will be okay in the end</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Annabeth Chase &amp; Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Percabeth Futurefics [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2027545</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>what you left behind</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As soon as she registered who the call was from, Annabeth's heart sank as she picked it up, gripping it tightly. "Rachel, what is it?" she whispered, toying with a strand of hair to avoid the onslaught of tears she could feel coming. "Percy's job won't let him take a leave of absence," Rachel explained. Annabeth bit her lip, trying to control her newfound anger towards her husband. </p><p>"Did he try to explain that it was a family visit? That he hasn't seen his wife in three months and his ten-month old son is beginning to forget his name? Did he-" Annabeth's tirade was cut short by Rachel's voice. "Annabeth, Percy loves you, and he loves Charlie. You know that." Annabeth glared at the phone's screen in spite of the fact Rachel couldn't see her, trying her best to calm her emotions before speaking. </p><p>"I know he loves me and our child, but that doesn't change the fact that this morning I mentioned Percy's name in passing and Charlie looked at me blankly. He never did that when Percy worked from home, Rach. I-I don't know what to do..." she trailed off, swiping away a tear that had slipped down her cheek. "I'm so sorry," Rachel whispered. "I can't imagine how that feels, Anna. You need to call him." 

</p><p>Annabeth nodded, thanking Rachel before swiping to the contact she had saved on her home screen, her finger hovering over the button. She took a deep breath and allowed herself to press the call button, her breath catching in her throat when it began ringing. </p><p>Annabeth listened to the dial tone, biting her lip as it rang. After what felt like hours, she heard his voice on the other end. "Beth?" "Percy..." she couldn't finish the sentence as the pain of hearing his voice hit her like a tidal wave. She could hear him chuckle lowly before continuing, oblivious to the hurt she felt coursing through her. "It's been a while, Wise Girl." "And who's fault is that?" Annabeth sniped, immediately regretting it when she heard nothing but silence on the other end. She hadn't meant for it to come out as it did, but his blatant disregard of her feelings towards the situation had caused her to snap. </p><p>"What does that mean?" he asked after a moment, the humor gone from his voice. "Perce, I-I didn't mean it that way," she lied, her voice feeble in an attempt to defuse the situation she had created. "Yes, you did. What's going on, Annabeth?" She took in a shaky breath, her brain racing to come up with a response. A moment passed, and then another, and suddenly she couldn't hold it in anymore. "I haven't seen you in three months, Percy. Three months! I thought when you accepted the promotion it would mean better things for our family, for our son. You never answer my calls, and return them days later. It's like you're not a part of our lives anymore." </p><p>"Beth..." Annabeth could hear the conflict in his voice, the sharp edges of the silence cutting into her heart one by one.  She cut him off before he could finish, desperate to escape from it. "If it matters anymore, your son doesn't recognize your name. But maybe that's how you wanted it." "What?" he responded, his voice wrecked. "Charlie doesn't..." he trailed off. "Yes, Percy. That's what happens when you leave your wife and newborn son alone in New York to chase a pipe dream." </p><p>Once again, Annabeth immediately regretted her sudden lack of filter. Percy's career was his life next to her and Charlie, or at least that's how she used to feel. She knew her comment was a low blow, but for some twisted reason, she didn't fully regret her words. After all, the feeling of her heart breaking was worse than an off-hand comment about a career, at least in her mind. </p><p>When Percy spoke again, his voice was cold and distant. "I have to go. Tell Charlie I love him, and I'll see him soon." The moment the line clicked, signaling the end of the call, Annabeth burst into tears as she clutched the phone to her chest. She barely registered the soft footsteps coming nearer until a soft, "Momma?" resonated through the room. She lifted her head up, her gaze locking onto her son's bright green eyes sparkling with concern and confusion. </p><p>She smiled gently, wiping her tears away before holding her arms out, allowing him to crawl into her lap. She ran her fingers through his soft black hair, trying to ignore Charlie's clear resemblance to his father. At the beginning of Percy's promotion, when he began taking longer trips away from home, she found it comforting - as if her husband was there with her. But as his cold words echoed through her head, she chose to squeeze her eyes shut as she held her son tighter.</p><p>**</p><p>Annabeth pulled the covers tighter around her, shivering in spite of the heat coursing through the house. The empty space beside her seemed to grow colder with each passing second, just as the ever-present pain in her heart did. Instead of allowing the tears to fall, she pushed herself over to Percy's pillow, curling up under the sheets. She soon drifted off to sleep, dreaming of a time when her family was whole. </p><p>**</p><p>Percy quickly slid out of his car, slinging his bag over his shoulder and he dug around in his pocket for the house keys. After he unlocked the door as quietly as possible, he shut the door behind him before taking a deep breath. His gaze locked on the sliver of Charlie's door visible from his position at the foot of the stairs, a bittersweet feeling filling his heart. He couldn't wait to hold his son in his arms the moment he woke up. </p><p>But Percy knew the biggest challenge would be facing Annabeth after leaving months prior. He had never meant to hurt her the way he did, and he beat himself up internally every day for his ignorance towards the repercussions of his decision to accept the promotion. The night Annabeth had broken down on the phone call had caused him to realize what he had left behind. He loved his job, and had only wanted to provide for his family, but Percy acknowledged that he had let the  promotion's promise of a higher salary overlook the extended time away from home - halfway across the country. </p><p>When Percy reached the door to their bedroom, he paused, his hand resting on the doorknob. What if she wasn't happy to see him? He shook off the thoughts before pushing open the door, his gaze falling on his wife curled up under the covers, her face pressed into his pillow. In that moment, he knew that what he saw in front of him was infinitely more important than any job he could ever be offered. After changing into a worn-out t-shirt and sweatpants, Percy quietly made his way over to the side of the bed, sitting down in the small gap her small form created. </p><p>Annabeth's eyes fluttered open, her gaze fixing on him as confusion and surprise flashed across her face before settling on hurt. It killed him to see the pain reflected in his wife's grey eyes, but he did his best to smile softly at her. She sat up slowly, wrapping her arms around her middle as she stared at him warily. "Percy?" He nodded, noticing the large shirt that hung off of her frame, biting back a soft grin when he realized it was one of his. </p><p>"I'm so sorry, Beth," he whispered, gently reaching out and tucking one of her blonde curls behind her ear. "I never meant to hurt you." She bit her lip, drawing his attention to her mouth and causing him to realize just how much he wanted to kiss her. He held back, instead opting to lean over and turn on the lamp on the bedside table. The lamp's soft light bathed his wife in a glow that caused his heart to beat faster. She looked up at him through her lashes, her eyes glittering with unshed tears. "Perce, I can't handle being away from you for so long, or the empty bed each night." </p><p>"I know, Wise Girl," he murmured, taking her hand in his and running his thumb over her wedding rings. "And that's why I gave the promotion to someone else," he explained, looking up at her with a small smile. "What?" Annabeth asked in response, her grey eyes wide in shock. "I turned down the promotion, Beth. Well, not at first, but as the months passed I came to realize what I did wasn't right for our family, or for our marriage. After you called me that night I knew that I needed to come home to you and Charlie. I'm home for good, Beth. I'm not going back to San Francisco." </p><p>Tears were streaming down Annabeth's face as her eyes roamed his face. "Really?" she whispered, her voice catching on the word as she broke out in a large grin. "Of course, Beth." he replied. Before Percy knew it, Annabeth was in his arms, sobbing into his shoulder. She pulled back after a moment to look at him, her close proximity to him dizzying even after three years of marriage. He took in Annabeth's pink cheeks and watery grey eyes before wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her mouth to his. </p><p>Annabeth whimpered softly, threading her fingers into his hair as he deepened the kiss, unable to pull away from her intoxicating taste. Percy's senses filled with the lemony scent of her shampoo, causing him to pull her impossibly closer and kiss her harder. His hands slipped under her shirt, settling on the curve of her waist. Annabeth shivered in response, biting his lip lightly before pulling back. He couldn't help but pull her back in for a short kiss and grinned when she smacked his chest lightly. </p><p>"I missed you so much, Percy," she whispered before pulling him down with her. "I'm tired," she exclaimed before attaching herself to him. He laughed as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulling her into his chest, kissing her softly to see the soft blush spread across her face. "I love you with all of my heart, Beth," he whispered before falling asleep to his wife's hushed response and the soft trickling of rain against the window. </p><p>**</p><p>Annabeth gripped his hand as they pushed open the door to the nursery. Percy's gaze fell on his son, who had sit up in his crib and was peering through the wooden bars. Charlie's green eyes lit up, causing Annabeth to squeeze Percy's hand hard. "What?" he asked, before realizing that Charlie's arms were reaching not for Annabeth, but for his father. "Dada!" he exclaimed, babbling excitedly. Percy's vision blurred as he realized his son did know who he was. "Hey buddy!" he said softly, reaching into the crib and pulling him into his arms. Percy could feel Annabeth's arms slide around his waist as she rested her head on his shoulder. As he leaned down to kiss his wife softly and rock his son, Percy knew that he had everything he could ever want right in front of him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is a small addition to the "what we came here for" universe that takes place right after Charlie is born, so a few years before the first part of this series. Sorry if it's slightly confusing!</p><p>I couldn't help making this one a bit more angsty than planned but that's pretty on-brand for me, if I'm being honest. But of course there's a happy ending! This one took me a bit longer because I wasn't sure if I liked how it turned out, but I decided to go ahead and put it out. </p><p>This one is completely self-indulgent and I hope you love the fluff as much as I do. Please let me know what you think of this one!</p><p>Once again, thank you for the tremendous support on my last few posts. It's greatly appreciated! </p><p>See you next time :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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